


First Meeting

by M_Renoir



Series: Siren/Merman AU [1]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: M/M, Mention of Death, Skeletons, based off some art I did for engiespy week on tumblr!, i'm not sure what else to tag tbh lemme know if i've missed anything I guess?, mention of drowning, merman!engie, siren!spy, siren/merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 23:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14758346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_Renoir/pseuds/M_Renoir
Summary: Siren/Merman!AU, where Spy's a siren (a classical Greek siren, the kind that are part bird) and Engie's a merman. Spy's song lures Engie onto the beach, where he gets stuck. Will the siren help? Or will Spy have merman sushi for dinner?Not really a cliffhanger, I'm just not sure how else to summarize this. It's just a one-shot, although I'm planning on writing more one-shots for this AU because I'm getting oddly invested.





	First Meeting

Sunshine glinted off of the sapphire waves, throwing glitter into the equally blue sky. A few seabirds, the kind that could fly incredible distances, arced through the air, signalling the presence of nearby land. The rest of the water was open, with only a few motes of plankton and other miniscule sea creatures floating here and there, their tiny bodies reflecting a bit of light of their own. Deeper in the water, the light pierced the gloom in bright beams, giving the relatively calm water an almost ethereal appearance. . 

Dell swam at the ends of these rays, weaving in and out of the light. This was a great day to go scavenging for metal scraps. The water was just the right temperature; not too hot yet not quite cold. He glanced down at the compass he kept in a small seaweed pouch at his side to make sure he was going in the right direction. His destination? A rather mysterious island with a pleasant, sandy beach, one area with tall crags and tumultuous water, and a puff of forest right in the middle. Around it lay many, many shipwrecks. Triton* knew how this many sailors happened to find this little island so difficult to navigate around. The merman himself had never found in his many visits a reason behind why so much wreckage littered the island. Perhaps it was due to the water’s shallowness? There were a few places where larger ships may get stuck in the sandy beach, but the island had only one side with large crags. Yet ships littered the ocean floor all around the island. 

This island in particular he had discovered by mere chance. His first compass must have been demagnetized, since on the way to his usual scavenging spot, he became horribly lost, only to stumble upon this place, with its many wrecks. Sometimes, he would find decayed bodies, twisted in the throes of death. Dell shuddered to remember. The similarities between humans and merfolk were unsettling in the worst kind of way, and the seemingly random appearances of grinning skulls from dark corners had shaved several decades off his life as he wandered these lands. But by now, he was quite used to it. There were some ships that he had become familiar with, even going so far as to name some of the skeletons within. 

Speaking of which, he was coming close to the usual haunt of his favorite skeleton, Scrubby. Scrubby held a dilapidated scrubber, a stick with long braided strings attached to the end. They looked similar to the scrubbers (made of coral and other sea life) the merfolk used to polish the rocks they lived among, so he named them similarly. By now, Scrubby was only holding onto the remnants of the stick, the strings long eaten away by the local marine life. 

“Howdy Scrubby,” he greeted the grinning skeleton. A faint current in the water was busy bobbing the skeleton’s head back and forth, giving the illusion of a response. “How’s the cleaning goin’? Deck’s all… Scrubbed?” The deck was ruined, of course. Dell just wanted to make some conversation, if only to fill the silence. The nodding, however, was now starting to get a little unsettling, and he seized a small piece of wood from the deck Scrubby had died scrubbing and used it to prop his skull in place. 

“There you go, all nice and steady-like,” he assured the skeleton. “Well, I’ll be going ahead then. Nice seein’ you today.” His greeting complete, the merman swam forward, orange and red scales flashing briefly in the gloom as he dove deeper. It looked like no new wrecks had appeared recently… 

After about an hour of searching--or so he reckoned, as long as that old watch he had found still worked right--he was ready to give in. There was nothing here that he didn’t already carry away, every crate opened, every pile of sand investigated, every rock overturned. There simply seemed to be nothing left for him to find. If anything, there was even less than before. The other metal items he would need a whole team of manatees to help him drag, and he honestly wasn’t really in the mood for that. He had more than enough metal at home to last awhile anyway. 

Suddenly, the water shifted ever so slightly, and Dell gave a nervous start, glancing around. Nothing seemed to be approaching… Until he saw a shadow in the water, cast by a ship far above. A ship! Perhaps this time he could see this mysterious force at work, find out how these ships were all somehow finding this particular island and crashing at it. Maybe if he found a proper method, he could attempt to replicate it on his own, so he wouldn’t have to come all the way out here every time. It was a rather long swim from Coral Cave**, after all. 

All of a sudden, the ship changed course, even though Dell felt no significant shift in current. They must be seeing something… By the time the ship was finished turning, the merman was almost giddy with excitement. Yes! The ship was going directly towards the island for some reason. He was going to witness this event firsthand! But right now, he was too deep in the water to really see what was happening beyond seeing a vague shadow. Of course, this meant he had to swim a bit closer. And a little closer. And a little… Closer…

A faint sound drifted down to him, eerie and warbling, almost like someone was… Singing? Dell frowned, and swam up to the surface, hovering just below the ship, until he could see the bottom of the ship in vivid detail. The water distorted the sounds from above, yet there was an enchanting allure that drove him further still. The ship made course for the island, showing no signs of stopping, even as some of the higher masts of sunken ships threatened to tear away the wayward ship’s hull. Some instinct in Dell drove him to quickly swim away from the ship, just briefly, before continuing on his way. Perhaps due to the increasing potential for a wreck, or perhaps because the music seemed to pause briefly before continuing, almost as if the singer had taken a long breath. The song continued after the brief pause with increased intensity, causing Dell to shudder slightly as chills ran down his spine. Soon, the ship paused, wavering indecisively as the sailors on board seemed to be throwing things overboard.

No. Not something.

Someone. 

Dell squinted, swimming closer. With great abandon, the sailors on board appeared to all be simultaneously jumping ship and swimming through the waves to the island. Fascinating... Was there something wrong with the ship? Something on board? There was still that music, louder and clearer now as the merman neared the surface of the water and closed the distance between himself and the island. The music… He needed to hear it more clearly. This had to be the reason. He had never heard anyone sing in this area before, so logically speaking, this could very much be the cause for the sailors’ abnormal behavior. It couldn’t be anything else, really, since this area of the ocean was nothing new to experienced sailors. At any rate, Dell assumed that these sailors were experienced since they were able to sail so far away from the mainland. Making up his mind, Dell swam up, lithely carving through the water. The music was getting louder and louder. For some reason, he thought he could taste some kind of honey-like sweetness in the water, the sensation filling his mind with a golden glow and a promise. A promise of great treasures and troves knowledge untold. Something that lay beyond, just above the water, just outside the water, just out of reach on the island… 

His head broke the water’s surface, momentarily shattering the illusion as a gust of cold ocean breeze hit his face. There was a horrible cracking and groaning as the ship finally struck against a wrecked ship, adrift as it was. Bobbing in the not-so-far distance, Dell could see the sailors paddling towards the land, some getting incredibly close. No. He was suddenly filled with a fiery determination and a strange possessiveness. Whatever was on that island, it was his. He had found the island first after all, long before these dumb humans had. The merman struck out in earnest, the sweet song seeming to fill him up until his heart was near bursting with want. He needed the whatever-it-was on the island. He didn’t know what it was, or what it would do, but he needed it. And no one else was going to get to it. 

\---

The tall white sails in the distance were nearly inseparable from the soft white clouds dotting the sky. While the day had mostly been still and quiet, the wind had picked up later in the day. The perfect time to hunt. The ship would come near soon, within earshot. Spy grinned. He hadn’t had proper food in weeks, since ships had begun avoiding his island as of late. Humans learned fast. He’d have to move islands eventually, but for now, this was a great place. He had overheard a previous group of sailors lamenting the loss of their cargo and cursing the decision-making of their captain. Apparently, this island lay along the shortest route between two major ports and at risk of falling prey to the siren, sailors were apparently willing to come. That, and the fact that some ships had begun ignoring his song, which greatly irked Spy. Perhaps they were using earplugs? He had yet to verify that, and doubted he could get close enough to make sure without being shot out of the sky. 

When the ship was finally close enough, Spy hid himself at the center of the island. He knew it would dampen his voice slightly, but it was better than letting someone see him sing. If some would call his voice a blessing, then he would call this physical anomaly a curse. His black feathers were sleek and shiny, his voice was beautiful, and that ridiculous red sack that puffed out from his throat whenever he sang was horrible. Awful. He wasn’t about to be made fun of by his prey, at least, those that survived the swim in the surprisingly cold water. Opening his mouth, sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight before an indescribably beautiful sound poured forth, loud and ringing. It pierced the air, reaching all the way to the sailors aboard. The effect was near immediate. The ship abruptly changed course, and Spy smiled despite himself. Excellent. He continued to sing, occasionally taking a quick breath between notes. 

Eventually, the sailors were all suitably overboard, and the ship was suitably destroyed in the water. The siren needed to keep them around for at least a little while though, almost like the way humans treated livestock. There was enough food on the island to keep the humans alive anyway, and Spy fully intended on picking them off at his leisure. He swallowed thickly, his throat dry from the singing. He’d see his haul first, perhaps pick up anyone who had drowned but had yet to sink properly into the ocean. 

Fluttering up into a tree, Spy peered down at the sailors, the last of whom were surfacing and crawling onto the island and into the foliage. They’d be easy to track down. The siren couldn’t help but preen a little, running his clawed fingers over his wings. But then, a flash of light caught his eye. An iridescent something had flopped out of the water a short distance away from where the sailors had crawled onto land. They seemed to pay the shiny creature no mind. Spy furrowed his brow. Not that he wasn’t aware that the ocean held many mysteries, he just had not expected one to show up along with his usual prey. Most of the exotic things in the ocean lived deep, far deeper than his voice could reach. Perhaps he was simply imagining it. He rubbed his eyes and blinked. Yes, still there, still flopping, and still seemingly struggling on the beach. He should take care of this before the sailors noticed. If anything, he wanted this creature to himself. All who set foot (or fin) onto his island belonged to him. 

\---

The crunch and shift of sand brought Dell back to his senses, along with the glare of sunlight on his eyes, and the increasing crushing feeling in his chest. What? He blinked, rubbing his eyes. To his dismay, he realized that his flesh hand was covered in tiny granules. When had he gotten onto land? The merman laboriously pushed himself onto his elbows, wincing as the gritty sand dug into his arm. Bits of sand had also managed to work their way between his scales, which irritated the sensitive skin that lay beneath the scales. A dip in the water would solve all his problems, but… He glanced behind him. To his dismay, the ocean lay far behind, glistening tauntingly in the afternoon sun. How had he gotten here? And when? Last he recalled, he was swimming to the surface, following a mysterious, alluring song… The ship! He craned his neck, frantically searching for the ship’s mast and white cloth sails, but they were gone, save for a sharp protrusion from the water that may have been the top of the mast. He groaned, every breath coming with greater difficulty. 

Just then, a shadow swooped over him, causing his heart to jump. No. He was going to die here, wasn’t he? For being stupid and following his instincts instead of thinking things through like he usually did. Reaching the decision to follow the sound of singing had come awfully quickly to him, so much that it almost felt out of character. Exactly what had come over him?

“I see my song has caught me a little merman,” a sonorous, accented voice sounded from in front of Dell. Somehow, by some miracle, they appeared to share a language, even if the owner of the voice sounded like he spoke Common as a second language. He whipped his head forward to come face to face with a strange, birdlike man. As much as Dell was part fish, this man before him was part bird, all glistening black feathers and smug smiles. 

“Hey, who’re you callin’ little?” was the belligerent reply that left his lips. He blinked, realizing he probably shouldn’t get onto the bad side of his potential savior--or would-be killer. “Ah--Uh--Sorry, I um… Howdy?” He tried for a smile, feeling a flush come over his face. He wasn’t wholly sure whether or not he was simply embarrassed about his stature--indeed, he was considered rather short for a merman--or simply beginning to die from exposure. Mermen were not made for the land. “Could--Ah--Could you lend a hand to a poor fella who’s done and gotten himself stuck?” 

The bird man raised an eyebrow. “Are you not even going to introduce yourself?” he asked, resting his cheek on one hand. Dell noticed with a nervous jolt the sharp black claws that tipped the bird man’s fingers. He also wasn’t sure how to answer the stranger’s questions, mind whirling with possibilities. He obviously couldn’t give out his real name. That was sensitive information, with him being the Royal Engineer and all… Royal Engineer… Perhaps he could introduce himself that way. 

“I’m Engineer, Engie for short,” he replied amiably, smiling to mask any hesitation he may have made. “And you?” 

“Spy,” the stranger replied with a nod. He stood, dusting sand off of the many jet black feathers on his legs. “A pleasure to meet you.” Dell--’Engineer’--nodded. This ‘Spy’ person clearly also didn’t want to give out his name, although if his alias held any significance, it may be just as well he didn’t. 

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Dell replied, still smiling in hopes of getting on Spy’s good side. “Uh… Now if you don’t mind…” He gestured rather helplessly at himself. “I seem to be a bit stuck.” Spy’s first response was to simply raise an eyebrow, clearly turning the request over in his mind. 

“What do I get out of putting you back in the water?” he asked rather skeptically. “You seem… Mm… For lack of a better word, tasty.” Dell swallowed nervously. Singing… A taste for merpeople… Part bird… He remembered reading about folks like this before in the Royal Library. Sirens, they were called. Their songs lured unsuspecting ships to their doom so the sirens could feast on--Oh. And the bird this siren was clearly also ate fish. A fish and a human made a merman. Oh. Oh no. Dell felt another stab of fear, pushing himself upright as best he could. At least his enchanted sea glass arm was strong, he could attempt to fight if negotiations went sour. 

“What… I can offer you?” he asked incredulously. “I.. Well…” Spy looked off into the distance. 

“I wager you only have a little while left if you do not get back into the water. Make your offer.” 

“I’ll--I’ll fetch them dead bodies for you,” Dell stammered, grasping for ideas. “The drowned--The drowned sailors. Since you’re a bird and all, y’know, and feathers don’t really go well with water even if you’ve got oils on them to keep them watertight, and--” He really was rambling now, but this idea seemed sound. Spy seemed a little bit interested. “I could start now, just… Need a moment to catch my breath and get back in the water first,” Dell suggested hopefully. Please. 

After another heart-pounding moment, Spy nodded. “Very well. You had best not renege on this agreement. Know that I can draw you back at any time… No one can resist my song, evidently.” He leaned down. For brief moment, Dell was terrified that the siren’s spindly-looking arms wouldn’t be able to support his weight. While on the short side, the merman knew he wasn’t exactly the lightest of folks out there. With some rather laborious heaving and much flapping of large black wings, Dell was safely back in the water. He sighed as he felt the coolness around him, feel like it was soaking into his very bones. Even the grittiness of the sand lodged in his scales seemed to lessen as he closed his eyes and just drifted. 

“Well, if you’re done laying around,” a voice pierced through the haze of bliss, “I suppose you intend on fulfilling your end of the offer, yes?” 

Dell grunted, a few bubbles escaping his lips. 

“I can’t hear what you’re saying,” Spy helpfully reminded him, tapping a foot. “And I can’t be out here for long or the sailors might see me and get the idea in their head that their escape may be aided by killing me.” 

“Alright, alright,” Dell popped his head briefly out of the water. The cold ocean breeze bit into his face and he shivered slightly. “I’ll be right back then.” He was just about to turn and swim off when he realized something. “Where--uh--do you want me to put the bodies after I bring them up?” 

“Hm…” Spy thought for a moment, glancing around. “I suppose you can place them over there during low tide.” He pointed to a small pile of rocks a little ways from shore. “I will transport them to my home in a little while.” Dell’s gaze followed the siren’s finger to the rocks. He could see where the waves washed over a few rocks that were a bit flatter than the others. They would be revealed during low tide, which… He glanced at the sun. If he remembered correctly, it would be low tide in a little while. 

“I’ll get to doin’ that then,” he replied, eager to just get this over with. 

“Make sure to get the ones that aren’t bloated and horrible,” Spy reminded him. “Please make sure they’re at least in one piece.” With that, he flew off in a flurry of dark feathers, soon disappearing into the forest. Dell sighed and sank back beneath the waves. This was going to be a long afternoon… 

\---

Finally, the last body was dragged onto the little shelf. Dell sighed and lay against it briefly to rest. Low tide had passed, and the sun was setting in the sky. There was no way he would make it back to Coral Cave before nightfall, and travelling in the ocean at night was definitely not advised. He could stay here, but… Well… He didn’t necessarily know if he wanted to stick around a place that had seen so much death. Neither did he want to stick around a siren that had already expressed an interest in eating him, but what other choice did he have? Maybe if he could find a nice little nook tucked away somewhere, the night would be tolerable. 

The sound of fluttering fethers alerted him to the siren’s arrival. Spy alighted on the rock, shuffling his feathers before leaning down to examine the bodies. Dell couldn’t help but notice how the waning light bounced off of the siren’s feathers, particularly that incredibly long tail. Beautiful was the first word that came to mind. Ridiculous, was the second. Who needed that long of a tail to get around? Wasn’t a short one just as good? Nature worked in strange and mysterious ways. 

“They seem acceptable,” the siren announced with some glee. “Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated…” Spy tested the weight of one waterlogged corpse, frowning slightly as he realized that it would be a rather long distance to fly if he were to lug all three bodies the whole way up to his home. Yet it wouldn’t do to just leave them here… 

Dell looked on with a bit of worry. The siren looked concerned about something, as if mulling over whether or not a merman would taste better than a pile of soaked humans. Of course, perhaps this was just an unfounded sense of paranoia on his part, but he still couldn’t quite shake the fear. 

“Do you want some help moving them onto land?” he offered reluctantly. “Since I’ll have to stay the night here anyway…” Spy looked up to him with another, stranger look on his face, as if not used to being offered anything, much less a helping hand. 

“I--um… Very well. I’ll take you on that offer.” He straightened, stretching out his wings. “I suppose you can bring them through the water.” In reality, there weren’t that many bodies. Sailors were hardy and very good at swimming, so few of them actually drowned. Dell dragged two of the three corpses to the land, towing it behind him as he swam. This was disgusting in a way he didn’t dare dwell upon. He couldn’t even bring himself to think about what the siren planned on doing with these corpses. Dismemberment, perhaps? He shuddered and tried his best to put those thoughts aside. Spy flew the first one directly to his home, coming back another two times to pick up the ones that Dell had deposited on the beach. 

“Well, that’s that,” he panted as he flopped down on the sand beside the last body. All this work had him all tuckered out, particularly after such a long swim earlier that day. 

Spy picked up the dead sailor, looping his arms underneath the body’s armpits and standing up straight. “I… I appreciate your help. This was more than I had expected…” He glanced to one side, not quite meeting Dell’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Dell replied, an instinctive, tired smile spreading across his face. “Uh… Well I’ll be off now, then.” He pushed himself tiredly back into deeper water, sliding smoothly against the wet sand and waves. 

“Wait--” 

The merman paused, looking back towards the siren. What else could he possibly want? 

“I… Well… If you ever come around again, please let me know. It can get… Well, it’s rather...” Spy looked like he was choking on his words. Dell bit back a little chuckle.

“Sure, I can. Must be lonely all on your lonesome out here, living with just some… Some humans you’re gonna eat later,” he offered good-humoredly. “I come around pretty often, actually. Lots of shipwrecks I can find interesting human gadgets in.” Spy gave him a rather strained smile, as if he wasn’t really used to giving a genuine smile to anyone. 

 

“I am in your debt,” the siren replied with a nod. Dell rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. 

“Well… It’s getting late. I’m gonna find someplace to sleep. See ya ‘round,” he nodded at Spy before disappearing beneath the waves. 

Spy watched the merman disappear into the water until he could no longer discern the flame-like brightness of his tail from the ocean glistening with the oranges and pinks of the sunset. Why had he asked him to stay? Perhaps… Perhaps it was as Engineer said… It was awfully lonely by himself on this island.

**Author's Note:**

> *Triton is a Greek god of the sea, son of Poseidon.  
> **Coral Cave is a reference to Bee Cave, but since there aren't bees underwater, I had to improvise a little.  
> More will come!! And this takes place in like Ancient Greece or something, iunno, or at least in a place where the myths are somewhat(?) true. Technically though, Engie's a 'sea nymph', but I call him a merman for simplicity's sake. It's not entirely Greek myth-based, since they're both male and sirens/sea nymphs are usually female, but hey, it's loose. Just inspired by these myths.


End file.
